Everybody always starts their new year off by saying they’re going to lose weight, be happier, join the gym, get rid of the negativity, etc. The list can go on and an on forever. But 9/10 times, about one month in or so, they start giving way to their old habits and resort to being the same person they hated the year before. Considering the way things happened in 2016, I think everyone needs a change. At least I do and I am going to give you a few examples of the things I am doing to live a healthier, happier and more enjoyable life.

I joined the gym: This is the third time I joined a gym and this time, I am so convinced that I will actually go five days a week for at least one hour. I decided that enough was enough and I hated the way I looked. So far, I’ve stuck to my plan and went every day this week. I don’t plan on cancelling until I reach my end goal.

I threw the junk food out: This is something that I needed to do but it broke my heart at the same time. You can go to the gym as much as you want but it will not help if you eat outside food 24/7 and all you have in your pantry is chips, cookies and soda. I threw all the junk food out and realized I only had pasta, canned vegetables and peanut butter left. So… I went to my local grocery store and bought salads, vegetables, fruits, lean meats and all-natural snacks, so I didn’t have to eat a lot of processed foods anymore.

I changed my attitude: I told myself towards the end of December that I wouldn’t be miserable anymore. Everyday, I woke up mad or sad at the world for no reason and I always felt like I didn’t have a reason to get out of bed. But for some reason, I woke up on January 2nd feeling amazing like I had a fresh slate to be the person I wanted to be and nobody can take me down!

I deleted contacts: In 2016, I encountered and surrounded myself around people that I thought were my true friends. I created relationships with people that treated me horribly and called me names, made me cry and overall, weren’t good for my mental health. When the clock turned 12:01 on January 1, 2017, I deleted all of the contacts of people I didn’t want to associate with anymore. ….5 days later and I am still deleting the people that affect my life negatively.

I started appreciating: Lastly, but most importantly, I decided to appreciate all of the good things I had in my life. I travel a lot, I have great friends, an amazing and supportive family and basically anything I ever could ask for. I have two great jobs, an amazing internship, and a nice car. Life is pretty well and I finally realized it.

2016 was not horrible, but it was not the year for me and I am glad that I changed a few of my ways from 2016 to 2017 so that I can become a better person overall. It is never too late to change. However, if you do not hear from me in 2017, chances are, you were the change…

This is a quote written by Maya Angelou that I like to read whenever I need motivation.

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude”